That very optimism is uniquely American. It's what brought us to America. We're a nation of immigrants, we're the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the ones who wanted a better life. The driven ones. The ones who woke up at night, hearing that voice telling them that life in a place called America could be better.

They came, not just in pursuit of the riches of this world, but for the richness of this life. Freedom, freedom of religion, freedom to speak their mind, freedom to build a life and, yes, freedom to build a business with their own hands.

This is the essence of the American experience. We Americans have always felt a special kinship with the future.

An attendee at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Tuesday allegedly threw nuts at a black camerawoman working for CNN and said “This is how we feed animals” before being removed from the convention, a network official confirmed to TPM.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

WASHINGTON — As the income gap between rich and poor widens, a majority of Americans say the growing divide is bad for the country and believe that wealthy people are paying too little in taxes, according to a new survey.

The poll released Monday by the Pew Research Center points to a particular challenge for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose party's policies are viewed by a wide majority as favoring the rich over the middle class and poor.

The poll found that many Americans believe rich people to be intelligent and hardworking but also greedy and less honest than the average American.

The Wall Street Journal called on Republicans Tuesday to soften their rhetoric on immigration and expand outreach to Latino voters, warning that doing otherwise could damage the party's chances in the future.

"The real threat to a GOP return to power is its failure to reach out to minority voters, especially Hispanics," the editorial board writes. "Even if they win 60% of white voters this year, Republicans won't retain a governing majority for long unless they find a way to appeal to minority voters who are growing as a share of the electorate."

A. Yes. The jury didn't prohibit sales of the devices. However, Apple is asking a judge to ban U.S. sales of several Samsung devices. A Sept. 20 hearing has been scheduled. If the judge agrees, that would affect many Samsung devices, but not the most recent ones, such as the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note smartphones. Most of the two dozen devices covered by the lawsuit aren't sold in meaningful numbers in the U.S.

Q. If Apple still prevails, will this drive Samsung out of the phone business?

A. Possibly. Samsung may have to pay Apple substantial royalties on each phone. Consumers will likely pay for that somehow, but it may not be noticeable in stores. Phone companies such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless already subsidize each smartphone by hundreds of dollars to get retail prices down to $99 or $199.

Q. What does this mean for the Samsung phone I already own?

A. This doesn't directly affect phones that have already been sold, even if they are the models that the judge decides to ban. In the long run, it could reduce enthusiasm around Android, the operating system from Google that Samsung uses in the devices in question. That might mean fewer applications for Android from outside parties. That will take years to play out, but could conceivably affect the resale value of your phone.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

After discussing what he called the "discouraging" results about the middle class found in the new Pew study, Limbaugh said that he thought "the country could survive four more years of Obama."

Limbaugh further qualified his statement by adding, "But I don't believe the country can survive in a country full of people that would re-elect him." Limbaugh described this as "the great fear" as he does not know "what we can do about a majority of people who would re-elect the guy."

The 10 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and deportation officers said Mr. Obama’s policies force them to choose between enforcing the law and being reprimanded by superiors, or listening to superiors and violating their own oaths of office and a 1996 law that requires them to demand proof of legal status from those they suspect are not in the country legally.

Upping the ante, the agents are being represented by a high-profile lawyer, Kris W. Kobach, secretary of state in Kansas and the chief promoter of state immigration crackdowns such as Arizona’s tough law.

The Valley's Silent Witness Program is now offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information in the case.
If you have any infromation about what happened to Velasquez, call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377), 1-800-343-TIPS (8477) or 480-TESTIGO (837-8446). You can remain anonymous.

As young undocumented immigrants around the nation on Wednesday began the process of applying for federal work permits under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed an executive order directing state agencies to deny drivers licenses and other public benefits to anyone who get work authorizations under the new President Barack Obama's immigration policy.

At a time when U.S. Hispanics are desperately in need of a voice in the national news, the rest of America continues to define the Latino identity. Unfortunately for Hispanics, this means that our concerns are ignored, our perspectives are not heard and our community finds it challenging to create and sustain any momentum. U.S. Hispanics are weakening because no one is defending our voice at a national level or translating the real issues in ways that connect culturally and cultivate an objective dialogue. In others words, the real stories that represent what Hispanics are thinking but not saying are not being told. Hispanics are eagerly awaiting the day to have their own Al Sharpton voice and a seat at the table to objectively address issues and translate them for the rest of America - who can also benefit from greater understanding and comprehension of the issues.

"You're going to hate me for saying this," says my good friend, a married mom of three, as we stand on the beach and look toward the ocean. "But you're never going to find a man. They're just not out there. No single woman I know can find a guy." She takes a breath and adds: "So you should have a baby. Do whatever it takes and have a baby. You should at least become a mother." I don't hate her for saying it. She is saying what so many others are thinking.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Authorities say they believe a man spent years posing as an immigration officer in the Seattle-Tacoma area and used threats to coerce undocumented immigrants into doing what he wanted.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Tuesday they’re looking for possible victims of 36-year-old Jose Antonio Haughton, better known as “Panama.” Haughton is being held at the King County Jail on state charges that he coerced a woman into giving him money and sex, and investigators say he threatened other immigrants as well.

ICE said Haughton promised to expedite applications for immigration benefits for a fee, and that he’d even go as far as accompanying immigrants to a Homeland Security office to convince them of his credibility.

Officials said any undocumented victims might be nervous about coming forward to law enforcement, but they noted that victims who do help investigators could be eligible to apply for lawful status.
Haughton has criminal convictions in Colorado, Montana and New York.

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild says, it needs to. Right now, Arizona doesn't even make the list of the top five U.S. states that imports and exports with Mexico. In an unprecedented trip to Mexico, Mayor Rothschild, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos delivered key messages to Mexico's leaders about improving trade to benefit both sides.

"I also delivered the message that Tucson is not interested in demonizing Mexico, Mexicans, or people of Mexican descent. We are partners and should work together" said Mayor Rothschild. He added, if Tucson can become the main port for trade with Mexico it could mean more jobs and billions of dollars for our local economy.

Tucson residents think it's a brilliant move. "I definitely agree... and being from California we have to get it to California's level of imports and exports" said David Cohen.

But Nogales resident William Monaghan is skeptical. While he thinks it's a great idea he believes that the damage from some state leaders has been done. "There's a degree of prejudice against Mexican-Americans and Immigrants which is terribly unfair. There's animosity and it's an animosity that is deserved" he said.

arizonajim - Aug 20, 2012 11:31 PM What is controversial about the Governors statement?the law is the law. Us Americans are sick and tired of hearing about the poor illegal criminal alien leeches. We have millions of Americans out of work so why do we want to import workers? WAKE UP 9

Cantaloupe is the culprit in a salmonella outbreak that has killed two and sickened at least 141 people nationwide, in 20 U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tainted melon was most likely grown in Southwestern Indiana and shipped across the county. Both of the deaths linked to the melons occurred in Kentucky.

Arizona’s immigration law, SB 1070, is back in court on Tuesday morning. A coalition of civil rights groups is trying to block the so-called “show me your papers” provision from taking effect.

The provision, Section 2B, is often called the heart of Arizona’s controversial law.

It says if police are enforcing other laws, and they come across people they suspect are in the country illegally, they must check their immigration status.

Two years ago federal District Judge Susan Bolton blocked that provision of the law, among others, from taking effect while the case was litigated. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down three provisions because they preempted federal law, but found that Section 2B could go into effect.

That hasn’t happened yet because now a coalition against the law is raising new challenges, including civil rights claims.

federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled Monday that Georgia could soon start enforcing a key part of its sweeping immigration law, empowering state and local police to investigate the immigration status of suspects and take illegal immigrants to jail.

But the three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also said it recognizes arguments from critics that this statute “invites a host of other problems, namely racial profiling,” and that such racial profiling could spur lawsuits

Rep. Todd Akin, Missouri’s Republican Senate nominee, caused a public outcry Sunday when he told a local television station that “legitimate rape” rarely leads to pregnancy.
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,” Akin, the Republican Senate nominee in Missouri, said. ”If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Akin later issued an apology, saying he “misspoke” when he made an “off-the-cuff” remark. Empirical evidence suggests that he is indeed wrong: Research published in the Journal of American Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests over 30,000 pregnancies result from rape annually. “Rape-related pregnancy occurs with significant frequency,” the trio of researchers from the University of South Carolina concluded. “It is a cause of many unwanted pregnancies.”

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

In Arizona, which passed one of the nation's toughest anti-immigration laws, Gov. Jan Brewer signed an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to deny driver's licenses and other public benefits to illegal immigrants who obtain work authorizations under a new federal program.

A spokesman for Gov. Brewer told the Arizona Republic that Brewer's order is intended to cut through the confusion created by the act.
"As the (Department of Homeland Security) has said repeatedly ... these individuals do not have lawful status," Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson told the Republic. "They are able to remain in the country and not be deported, and not be prosecuted, but they do not have lawful status."

News for obama's amnesty 2012
Obama immigration amnesty to include middle school dropouts
Daily Caller‎ - 10 hours ago
Administration officials have expanded the White House immigration policy for younger illegals to include low-skill immigrants who have not ...
Obama's Administrative Amnesty Sets Dangerous Standards
FrontPage Magazine‎ - 9 hours ago
Lamar Smith: Obama's amnesty for illegal immigrants is against the ...
www.csmonitor.com/.../2012/.../Lamar-Smith-Obama-s-amnes...
Jun 15, 2012 – The Obama administration decision for immunity from deportation for young illegal immigrants is a breach of faith with Americans.
Obama Amnesty Plan: Catch, Release, Vote - The Rush Limbaugh ...
www.rushlimbaugh.com/.../2012/.../obama_amnesty_plan_cat...Share
Jun 15, 2012 – RUSH: The regime today told the border agents: "If you catch young illegals, let 'em go and grant 'em work permits." No more deportation of ...
7 Reasons Obama's Amnesty For Under 30 Illegals Is Terrible Policy ...
townhall.com/.../2012/...obamas_amnesty.../full/
by John Hawkins - in 2,462 Google+ circles - More by John Hawkins
Jun 22, 2012 – Since there are currently no work permits for illegal aliens, handing them out would require a change in the existing law.

Last year, American Express sued Felicia Tancreto, claiming that she had stopped making payments and owed more than $16,000 on her credit card.

While Ms. Tancreto was behind on her payments, she contested owing the full amount, according to court records. In April, Judge Dear dismissed the lawsuit, citing a lack of evidence. The American Express employee who testified, the judge noted, provided generic testimony about the way the company maintained its records. The same witness gave similar evidence in other cases, which the judge said amounted to “robo-testimony.”

American Express and other credit card companies defended their practices. Sonya Conway, a spokeswoman for American Express, said, “we strongly disagree with Judge Dear’s comments and believe that we have a strong process in place to ensure accuracy of testimony and affidavits provided to courts.”

Interviews with dozens of state judges, regulators and lawyers, however, indicated that such flaws are increasingly common in credit card suits. In certain instances, lenders are trying to collect money from consumers who have already paid their bills or increasing the size of the debts by adding erroneous fees and interest costs.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

For two years, Tea Party lawmakers in the House have been the stubborn barbarians at the gate, strong-arming their often reluctant Republican colleagues by refusing to compromise on spending, taxes, debt or social policy.

More than that, Mr. Ryan is now unquestionably the face of the Tea Party caucus in Washington, and his success is certain to embolden House lawmakers whose proudly unyielding approach to governance has contributed to legislative gridlock.

Once considered a fringe of the conservative coalition, Tea Party lawmakers are now indisputably at the core of the modern Republican Party.

"At a time when millions are struggling financially, it is degrading to talk about the 'dependency' of people hurting in this economy, as Gov. Romney did recently."

Rhett Engelking, a secular Franciscan in Milwaukee and member of FAN, has even personally invited Romney to visit with the low-income people he assists. “Political leaders would not talk about the poor in demeaning ways or cut job training programs if they spent more time with the people they are affecting with their policies," he said.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

The vast majority of Americans agree that our immigration system is broken. According to the Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) Annual 2010 report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) apprehended 517,000 foreign nationals and removed 387,000 foreign nationals from the United States. Nonetheless, it’s estimated that one out of every twenty workers is an illegal immigrant and that between 12 and 13 million illegal immigrants remain nationwide. This issue persists as a result of our flawed immigration and border security system, is an affront to the rule of law, an unacceptable security risk, and an added burden to the current state of the economy.

However, I do not support amnesty for the millions of illegal immigrants already living in the United States. Any reform proposal must require that those who have disregarded the rule of law are not rewarded for their actions. In the end, I hope that with better border security and a more robust and up-to-date employee verification system, we will be able to stem the flow of illegal immigration and restore the rule of law.

Late Friday night the Associated Press reported that Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate. In choosing the 42-year-old conservative budget guru, Romney eschewed the “safe” choice many political insiders had expected, opting instead to “go bold.” He turned to a rising star whose fiscal vision dazzles the right while energizing Democrats who say they relish the chance to run against him. As a result, the 2012 election is likely to shift from a narrow debate about the state of the economy to a much broader one about the size and role of government in America. Running mates rarely shift the trajectory of a presidential campaign. This time could be different. Ryan’s political identity is built on his famous budget plans, whose most recent iteration would cut spending by $5.3 trillion more than President Obama’s last official budget proposal over the next decade. Ryan’s deepest cuts would come from health care spending, in the form of major reductions to Medicaid and Medicare, which he would transform dramatically by replacing virtually unlimited federal payments for services with capped vouchers.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

GOP chair Roddey: Obama supporter "retarded"
That got a huge response from the partisan GOP crowd of about 200 people at Vulakovich's party, whereupon Roddey went into his Obama joke.
"There was a disappointment tonight. I was very embarrassed. I was in this parking lot and there was a man looking for a space to park, and I found a space for him. And I felt badly -- he looked like he was sort of in distress. And I said, 'Sir, here's a place.' And he said, 'That's a handicapped space.' I said, 'Oh I'm so sorry, I saw that Obama sticker and I thought you were mentally retarded."

Monday, August 6, 2012

The gunman who opened fire in a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., and killed six people has been identified as Army veteran Wade Michael Page. Page, 40, opened fire outside the temple before entering around 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning and killed six people. He served in the Army from April 1992 through October 1998. Page was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with a police officer who sustained "eight or nine" gunshot wounds, authorities confirmed.

COMMENTS:

hollandpark26 Will flags fly at half-mast for these victims like they did after Aurora? Will presidential political adverts go silent for a day? Will the Prez or his potential rival go to Wisconsin to comfort the community and families of the victims? What makes the people of Aurora more worthy of that kind of respect than those who are victims in Wisconsin?

catsalleygirl Hate is rampant in this country; haters are cowards and I hope they rot in hell!My thoughts and prayers are with the Sikh community; they are peaceful people who do not deserve this. How horrible that a country called "the melting pot" can be so full of such hatred. I am ashamed to be an American today.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Cartzzzz 1 comment: Canada is an open and accepting country. Sikhs are welcome here. Unlike the USA where hate and ignorance is very prominent, Canadians are a well educated, worldly population. Consider Canada if you no longer feel safe in the USA.

With all of the hype around Latinos these days, how could Arizona have happened? I thought we had power. One-third of Arizona is Latino and its neighbor California is the land of milk and honey – the favorite destination of politicos of all colors. Over fifty percent of Los Angeles is Latino; its mayor is Mexican American as is the mayor of San Antonio, Texas.

Arizona’s war on Mexican Americans does not make sense, especially in the light of the growth of the Latino population that now numbers 50 million. This nightmare seems out of place. Alabama maybe, but Arizona?

Oak Creek, Wisconsin (CNN) -- At least seven people, including a gunman shot by a police officer, were killed Sunday in an attack on worshippers at a Sikh temple in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek, police said.

The officer was wounded but "returned fire, and that shooter was put down," said Bradley Wentlandt, the police chief in nearby Greenfield, who briefed reporters. Investigators who picked through the building afterward found four bodies inside the temple and two other victims outside, plus the gunman, Wentlandt said.

At an afternoon news conference, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said that authorities are treating the shooting as a "domestic terrorist-type incident," adding that the FBI will head the investigation.

Two semi-automatic handguns believed used by the shooter were recovered from the scene, a law enforcement source directly involved in the investigation told CNN.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

The U.S. is locking up more undocumented immigrants than ever, generating lucrative profits for the nation's largest prison companies, and an Associated Press review shows the businesses have spent tens of millions of dollars lobbying lawmakers and contributing to campaigns.

After a decade of expansion, the sprawling, private system runs detention centers everywhere from a Denver suburb to an industrial area flanking Newark's airport, and is largely controlled by just three companies.

The industry's giants – Corrections Corporation of America, The GEO Group, and Management and Training Corp. – have spent at least $45 million combined on campaign donations and lobbyists at the state and federal level in the last decade, the AP found.

CCA was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2000 due to lawsuits, management problems and dwindling contracts. Last year, the company reaped $162 million in net income. Federal contracts made up 43 percent of its total revenues, in part thanks to rising immigrant detention.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

If you believe that the United States should legalize dogfighting because we allow humans to fight, fear not. You’ve got an ally in the United States Congress.

During a tele-townhall late last week, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) fielded a question about his opposition to animal rights and recently introduced legislation that would undermine local standards preventing animal torture. “It’s wrong to rate animals above human beings,” he told the questioner. To make his point, King argued that “there’s something wrong” for society to make it a “federal crime to watch animals fight” but “it’s not a federal crime to induce somebody to watch people fighting.”